A New Leaf (The Third Chance Sequel)
by TayMor
Summary: A new leaf was being turned, whether he wanted it to happen or not. Madara's resurrection isn't permanent like he thought and now that he doesn't have forever he's forced to choose between Sakura and his pride. Sequel to The Third Chance.
1. Chapter 1 - Starting Over

**AN: Tanaa! You didn't expect this did you?! Mwahaha! Lol I didn't expect it either. I hadn't intended to work on ANL for now, but the reviews on Invisible Uchiha suddenly inspired me and so I became a slave to the plot bunnies. I won't be updating this story as often as Invisible Uchiha...I think...but anyhow here is the first chapter of the long awaited sequel to TTC. Also just a light citrus warning! Enjoy~**

* * *

 **A New Leaf (Path)**

 **Chapter 1 - Starting Over**

The stillness of the night could have been mistaken for peacefulness, but it wasn't. It was far too stagnant, much too heavy to be considered in such a light blissful manner.

Madara stirred on the simple futon he slept on, sweat beading on his forehead. The heaviness of the night weighed directly on his chest and Sakura's absence made it even worse. She'd had to stay late at the hospital to attend to an urgent matter, and so he'd been left to sleep alone. But without her there was no sleep.

The eventide's stillness pressed on, forcing itself down onto Madara. It was getting hard to breathe. He struggled, forcing his eyes to open against the blackness only to be met with more darkness. Not the darkness of an unlit room like he should have seen, but the empty pitch black space of a dream, of another dimension.

Footsteps sounded through the darkness and it slowly parted to reveal a familiar face. Hashirama.

" _Madara you've disappointed me...I told you not to waste your chance, to embrace the new path and yet still you decided to manipulate Konoha…"_

 _Madara's eyes widened. How had Hashirama found out about his plans? Wasn't he dead? And where was this place he kept meeting him in?_

" _This...it's none of your concern Hashirama," Madara bit out, but his words didn't quite reach his eyes and a bitter taste coated his tongue._

 _Hashirama sighed, shaking his head sadly before straightening, face set sternly._

" _The Rikudo Sennin and I didn't resurrect you forever, Madara. We didn't give you a second chance only to have you manipulate and use Konoha as a chess piece. You have done enough of that already."_

 _Madara frowned, opening his mouth to retort, but Hashirama held up a hand, silencing him._

" _Now that your body has healed your time is running out. You don't have much longer before you return to death. So use your time wisely, or pay the consequences."_

* * *

Madara's eyes snapped open, body jolting upright in the futon. Had Hashirama been a dream? No, it had felt too real.

It had been real.

The Uchiha raised a shaking hand to his face, jaw clenched with emotion. His thoughts were raging inside of him, crashing against the rocky shores of his skull. He hadn't been resurrected for good. His time was limited.

Sakura. Did this mean he would have to leave her behind?

Madara's stomach clenched at the thought, and bile rose in his throat.

He felt sick. Sick at the thought of losing Sakura, sick at the fact that he'd become so dependent on her. The Uchiha suppressed a shudder, drawing one leg up to rest his head against his knee. This was not how he'd planned things to go.

Uchiha Madara's plans rarely ever failed...however it seemed as though that is all they could do lately. Madara let out a bitter laugh.

Now he had to choose. He had to choose between his pride and Sakura. He wanted to choose his pride, it was what he would have done before. It was ingrained into his very character. Yet still, he found himself unable to picture anything but green eyes. Green eyes he knew he couldn't marr with anymore blood.

Green. The colour was quickly becoming the one thing that held him together. Before it had been the red of blood and the black of hatred, but now it was all viridian.

A jaded smile twisted Madara's lips and a humourless chuckle started in the back of his throat, growing until he was full on howling. He grabbed his hair, fisting the dark locks between his fingers.

He couldn't not choose her. And he hated every minute of it.

* * *

The creaking of the front door jarred Madara from his numbed trance. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting in the darkness, but it had been pitch black, with not even the moon gracing him with its light. But he was used to the darkness.

Footsteps pattered across the wooden floor, and small sandaled feet stopped in front of Madara. A soft breeze filtered through the open window and in with it danced the missing moonlight. The silvery glow flooded the room, parting the thick darkness.

She had returned.

Madara looked up, dark eyes meeting green ones. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to. Sakura could sense the turmoil within him. She wordlessly slipped off her sandals, lowering herself to the futon, resting on her knees as she pulled him into her arms. For a brief moment Madara stiffened, then his body relaxed as he buried his face in the crook of Sakura's neck.

He tried to focus on the feel of her small hands moving up and down his back and twining themselves into his hair. But he couldn't erase the pressure in his chest.

"Hate me," Madara gritted out, voice hoarse and rough against his throat.

A small sigh escaped Sakura's lips and her hands stilled.

"What are you going on about again?" she asked quietly, tiredness evident in her soft voice. She was too exhausted for this, but she couldn't turn him away and she wouldn't.

"You have to hate me," Madara repeated. "Hate me with every fibre of your being. Break and crush me...make me hurt as much as you do. Then maybe...maybe I won't be able to choose you."

A lump formed in Sakura's throat, and her hands began to tremble. Hate him? She was no longer capable of doing that, even if she wanted to, which sometimes she did. But she couldn't, she'd seen the hurt and darkness in him, she'd seen how broken he was.

"You are already broken, you have already been crushed and hurt. Now it is time for you to heal, to mend and live."

Sakura pulled away, her hands moving from Madara's back to his shoulders, then coming to rest on either side of his face. A piece of her heart crumbled when the moonlight flickered across his face. He looked utterly spent. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, which were full of turmoil, yet hollow at the same time.

What had happened while she was gone? It wasn't the first time she'd seen him like this, but it was the first in a while. She'd thought he had been getting better.

Sakura moved closer, her lips brushing against Madara's chapped ones. He made a hoarse noise in the back of his throat, his hand coming up to close around her wrist.

"Don't," he said hoarsely, turning his head away. Her heart caught against her ribs.

When Sakura didn't reply, and Madara heard her breath catch in her throat, he scrambled to explain. His lips twisted bitterly in the dark as he realized how much he'd fallen. He was now desperate to explain his actions to her, afraid to hurt her.

"I don't know if I am able to hold back…." Madara continued, his voice low and rigid with emotion. For a moment it was silent, the only sound being the rustle of the breeze between the trees. Then Sakura answered, and if he hadn't been waiting for her reply, he would have missed the soft, almost whispered words.

"You don't need to."

That was all he needed to hear, and the pressure in Madara's chest was released, spreading through his body and dissipating.

"Foolish girl, you should be hating me," he whispered, his voice giving away nothing, but his dark eyes glimmered in the night. Madara's lips crashed against Sakura's, his tongue intertwining desperately with her own. His hands fisted into the back of her top as he moved his lips almost harshly against hers.

He couldn't stop. And he didn't want to. He wouldn't stop until she destroyed him, until she crushed him into the nothingness he'd been resurrected from. But she'd said she couldn't...that she wouldn't.

So he wouldn't stop, he wouldn't let her go.

Madara released Sakura's lips, moving down to the crook of her neck. He gently bit down on the soft flesh, heat rising within him when Sakura let out a soft moan. His tongue laved over the now tender skin, before his mouth settled onto it, suckling softly. He slipped his fingers beneath the hem of Sakura's top, his calloused fingers leaving trails of heat along the skin of her torso.

A raging hunger consumed Madara and he captured Sakura's lips again, briefly sinking his lips into the ample flesh of her bottom lip. He released it, just before blood was drawn, and slid his tongue over her own. A soft gasped escaped Sakura's lips when his large hands slipped underneath her bra, his thumbs brushing over her hardened nipples.

Sakura shuddered when Madara tugged her top over head with one hand, while his other unhooked the clasp of her bra, leaving her chest exposed to the frigid night air. He released her lips again to nip at the hollow of her neck, peppering her skin with desperate kisses as he made his way downward.

Sakura kneaded her fingers against Madara's scalp, her back arching slightly when his mouth latched onto one of her breasts. She could feel his desperation in the way his lips moved against her, it was as though he wanted to consume her; not just her body, but her soul, her entire being.

"M-Madara?" Sakura breathed, her breath hitching with pleasure and her heart storming within her chest.

"Hn," he grunted against her, the vibrations from his voice sending tingles skittering across her skin. He moved lower still, tongue dipping into the sink of her navel, his hands following lower, thumbs rubbing against her pelvic bones.

"You should hate me," he murmured, stilling for a moment to tilt his head up to look at her. Sakura sighed again, shaking her head sadly, her pink hair brushing against her shoulders.

"It's not like I didn't at one time...but now I don't...I can't," she said weakly, flashing Madara a tender, sad smile. She smoothed his hair away from his face, hands trailing down to cup his cheek. He wearily closed his eyes, pressing his face into the smoothness of her palm.

The darkness was bearable now. She'd saved him without realizing, perhaps without even meaning to.

Madara's eyes flickered open again, his gaze staring directly into Sakura's, the raw need in them causing heat to pool between her legs.

"I want you," he said simply, his voice thick with need and maybe even a hint of embarrassment. He was not used to asking for things, nor stating his deepest desires. But somehow Sakura made him do just that. A small smile quirked Sakura's lips and her tired eyes sparkled with a sudden playfulness. She reclined onto the futon, pulling Madara down on top of her.

"Then take me," she whispered.

And he did.

* * *

Sakura's lids grew heavier and heavier as she stared up at the ceiling, unable to make out much in the darkness. Madara's arms were wrapped securely around her, his head resting on her bare torso as he slumbered peacefully. A small blush heated the pinkette's cheeks when she glanced down, running her hands through Madara's slightly sweaty hair as her mind slipped back to their lovemaking just minutes before.

He'd consumed her. Begging her to run away from him, then to destroy him. And when she'd refused he'd clung to her, moving deep within in her as he tried to pull her light into him. She'd met his thrusts, their bodies slick with sweat as they climaxed together.

He'd mumbled her name over and over against her ears, his hands digging into her sides almost painfully. And she'd told him she loved him again. The two words had stilled him, quieting the hunger within him, and he'd pulled her closer, refusing to pull out from within her. And when he'd whispered brokenly in her ears, she knew it then.

It was his way of saying he loved her. It was as close to love as his scarred soul could get. And Sakura knew that with time he'd come to know true love felt like. In fact, she felt that he already knew it, but the darkness inside him held him tightly within its grip, refusing to allow him to recognize the emotion for what it was.

He'd hissed that he didn't deserve her love, and she disagreed. He said he wasn't capable of loving, that he fallen too far. A couple months before, she would have agreed, but now she knew better. And so she'd simply hugged him closer.

She knew he couldn't fight it any longer. He loved her, and maybe, just maybe it would be enough to redeem him.

* * *

 **AN: Annd thats a wrap for chapter 1! It's not very long I know T_T but I felt like it didn't need to be much longer. Anyway read and review please! Be sure to check out Invisible Uchiha for more MadaSakua action ^_^ Thank you for the amazing response so far! This is my token of appreciation!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Redemption

**AN: OMG! The response to last chapter was amazing! Thank you so much guys! You inspired me so much that I typed out chapter 2 in no time! If there is anything you would like to see in this sequel please let me know in the reviews ^_^ Now enjoy~**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Redemption**

Sakura frowned and pressed a wet rag to Madara's heated forehead. He'd been feverish for over an hour and the fever still refused to break. With her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, she quickly scanned his body, her frown deepening when she found no infection or anything that could cause a fever.

The pinkette straightened, pressing her palms to Madara's chest as she concentrated on the flow of chakra within her. She wasn't one hundred percent sure that the Chakra Scent Technique would help, as it was mainly for mental therapy. But since she had been unable to find any infection or bacterium that would be the cause of a fever she decided to give it a try.

The tension in Sakura's shoulders eased and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. As her chakra engulfed Madara, his body begin to feel noticeably cooler. The fever had broken.

' _This is so strange…'_ Sakura thought, green eyes narrowed in cerebration. She'd never seen a fever without cause before, and definitely not one healed by simply channeling chakra through the body. Maybe it was because the Uchiha had his own chakra sealed… but she couldn't be sure just yet.

Settling beside Madara, Sakura fingered his long hair, waiting for him to rouse. She didn't have to wait long, and in a few minutes, the Uchiha was stirring, dark eyes flickering open.

"Hey...how are you feeling?" Sakura asked quietly, lip folded between her teeth. She hoped her hands weren't trembling.

"Hn."

Sakura sighed, noticing that Madara wasn't in the mood to converse.

"I have to leave in a couple of hours, so I am going to rest. But I should inform you that the Hokage has summoned you for a meeting tomorrow."

When Madara didn't respond, Sakura sighed once more, pushing herself to her feet and heading to the bedroom where she normally slept. She'd figured he needed some space or something of the sort, and so decided to oblige him.

About fifteen minutes later, just as she'd begun to drift off to sleep, Sakura felt a weight settle beside her on the bed. Her eyes fluttered open, her gaze landing on the person she knew she'd see, Madara.

"Sleep," was all he said, his eyes shadowed in the dark. The pinkette giggled quietly, a small grin stretching her lips when Madara let out a miffed sounding grunt. She supposed it was his way of saying he didn't want to be alone.

Sakura reached for Madara's hand, her smaller one tracing the callouses along his palms as she stared sleepily up at him. He didn't look at her but he didn't pull away either, and just before sleep consumed Sakura entirely, she felt his hand flex around hers.

"Foolish girl."

* * *

Madara shifted, the chains around his ankles jangling with his movement. He smirked, noticing the frightened glares the counsel threw at him. They were quite the entertainment. Just as his mind was about to drift to more worthy subjects than the scum before him, the Hokage cleared his throat loudly, breaking the heavy silence.

"Uchiha Madara, we have summoned you here to inform you that in three weeks you will be tried for your actions towards Konoha. You will either be sentenced to the death or have your chakra permanently sealed."

Sakura, who was standing a little behind Madara, gasped in shock. She'd thought they weren't going to bother trying him...however she shouldn't have expected them to follow through with the decision. He had tried to annihilate Konoha and the entire world afterall.

The pinkette bit her lip, she didn't think there was much of a choice between the death sentence and having his chakra permanently sealed. The council would no doubt choose the death sentence. Dammit. How long would it take for true peace to come? Sakura clenched her suddenly clammy palms, shooting a glance at Madara from the corner of her eyes.

He didn't look fazed in the slightest. He stood proudly, his spine straight and his eyes closed, in what she supposed was an air of boredom. However upon closer inspection she noticed the rigidity in his jaw as he clenched it. He wasn't pleased.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, waving a hand in dismissal. When Sakura noticed Madara wasn't going to respond, she stepped forward.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama, your command has been received." She bowed politely, pressing her palm to the middle of Madara's back and forcing him to do the same. Once Kakashi nodded at her, she turned leading Madara and the squad of ANBU guards out of the room. She ignored the clenching in her stomach and the scenes of Madara being sentenced to death that were intent on forcing themselves into her mind.

She refused to think about it. She didn't want to deal with the conflict of emotions swirling within her, nor the guilt she still felt for not wanting him to die. She wasn't supposed to want him to be redeemed. But she did.

* * *

Once back at the Uchiha compound and within the confines of the small house, Sakura turned to Madara, eyes stormy with emotions.

"Please say something!" she spat out, the words tumbling from her suddenly heavy tongue. Moving from the doorway, Madara seated himself on the nearby sofa, crossing his now unshackled legs.

"Hn. What would you have me say?" he drawled, his voice flat with disinterest. Sakura reigned in the urge to punch something.

"You were just informed that you will either be sentenced to death or forcibly turned into a civilian...don't you feel anything?" Sakura questioned, hands clenched at her sides. She couldn't quite identify _why_ she was getting so worked up, but she was. Maybe it was because Madara didn't seemed to be fighting and she wanted him to. She wanted him to fight for his redemption.

Madara let out a harsh laugh, lips curling sardonically.

"It won't be the first time I've died," he said simply, folding his arms across his chest. Sakura flinched, she could see it in his eyes. He was in turmoil despite his uncaring exterior.

"But you don't want to be sentenced to the death...I can tell…" Sakura murmured, watching Madara's stony face carefully. For a moment it seemed as though he wasn't going to answer, and then he did.

"Am I supposed to throw a tantrum? To beg on my knees for pardon like a dog?" Madara's eyes glimmered with an intense kind of anger, one that had been cultivated for years. Not an anger incurred simply by an event or moment, but an anger of a lifetime.

"My chakra is sealed and my body is still in recovery and I have no allies. The most I can do is accept death with the honour of the Uchiha."

Sakura's stomach dropped.

"Do you mean you've given up?" she asked, the sound of her voice faraway and foreign to her own ears.

Madara tilted his head, chin jutting forward slightly.

"Wasn't that what you desired? Or do you wish me to fight? To destroy your beloved Konoha once more?" He didn't mention that he didn't have much time left, that his resurrection wasn't permanent. He also didn't mention that he'd planned on manipulating his way back into Konoha. He didn't think it was necessary.

Sakura sighed, running her hands through her hair and moving to seat herself on the couch beside Madara.

"I do want you to fight. But not to destroy Konoha. I want you to fight for your second chance...for your redemption. Wasn't that the whole point of your resurrection?"

Madara stiffened, Sakura's words reaching into his very core. She still thought he was worthy of redemption? She really was foolish. He forced himself to ignore the tiny part of him that felt happiness that she still thought him capable of such a deed. He didn't need redemption. He didn't want it. He wouldn't let himself want it.

"I wish to train," Madara bit out, his voice harsher than he'd intended. But he preferred to be harsh than to let Sakura see just how much her words had affected him.

Sakura sighed, rubbing her hands across her eyes. She was so tired...emotionally tired.

"Come, but only for an hour, I don't think your body can withstand more than that. Plus I have to visit the clinic."

Madara gave a small nod, so small it was more like a jerk of his head, before standing and heading towards the training grounds.

* * *

Madara finally let out his emotions, and it wrapped itself around the kunai he'd thrown, shattering the target mounted against a wooden post.

His thoughts were churning within him, roiling with the sea of his insides. It wasn't the trial that had him in a dilemma. He knew he could find a way to change the outcome of the trial, he wasn't the master of manipulation for naught. No, it was the fact that he hadn't been resurrected permanently. At first, he'd wished to return to the clutches of death...but now he wanted life. Or more accurately, he wanted Sakura, which meant he had to stay alive.

His sudden realization that he actually wanted to live, especially now that he had no purpose, didn't sit well with him. He wasn't used to living for anything but revenge or domination. There had been a time when he didn't live for such purposes...but it had been fleeting.

He could feel Sakura's eyes on him, and it served to remind him just how much he didn't want to lose her. It incensed him even more. Madara clenched his jaw, revelling in the way the cool metal of the kunai felt against his fingers. Battle, or training never failed to set his mind at ease...until now.

* * *

After the hour was up, Sakura restrained Madara once more, he was required to be cuffed once he was not in her direct vicinity, and left for the clinic.

Once Sakura was out the door, Madara allowed his shields to crumble. His body loudly protested the training session and as he stared up at the ceiling, sweat beaded on his forehead. The fever was back.

He could tell it wasn't an ordinary fever. He'd died enough times to know that. It was the fever of death.

"Dammit," Madara cursed quietly, the words but a hiss between his teeth. He hadn't expected the time to start so soon. It seemed as though, once again, Hashirama was correct. The Uchiha clenched his fists as a wave of heat flooded his body, then shivered violently when the heat, just as quickly as it came, turned into an icy cold.

There was nothing he could do. His chakra was sealed and training had left his body vulnerable to the fever. He was helpless. Uchiha Madara was far from used to being helpless. He'd always been a powerful soul. Power was in his inherent nature, he would have been powerful even if he hadn't sought it.

Madara closed his eyes, body stiff as he rode the feverish waves of pain. He could feel his entire being calling out for Sakura, desperate for her soothing presence. But she was long gone, and so he settled for the incoming darkness instead.

* * *

In the midst of his feverish state, Madara became aware of the darkness that surrounded him. However it wasn't an oppressive darkness, in fact it was somewhat comforting.

"Aniki…"

Madara started when a familiar voice sounded through the darkness. It was a voice he hadn't heard in centuries, but one he would never forget, no matter how many moons had risen. No amount of time could erase Izuna from his mind.

"Izuna!" Madara called, desperation crawling up his spine and wrapping its icy hands around his neck.

"Aniki…" the voice came again, closer this time. Close enough for him to reach out and touch it. Madara stretched out his arm into the darkness, fingers closing around the air.

"Izuna?!" he repeated, fingertips trembling when silence met his cries. Then, after a seemingly neverending second, a hand brushed against his own and the darkness parted and there, standing before him was Izuna.

He'd always wondered what it would be like to meet Izuna again. To see him standing before him, and now that it was happening, Madara found himself unable to utter a word. For a moment his mind went blank and all this emotions seemed to freeze, all he could do was stare as Izuna moved closer to him. Then the gates crashed open.

"I-Izuna?" Madara croaked, voice hoarse and rough against his throat. The younger Uchiha cracked a rare smile, his face lighting up and looking years younger.

"It's been a while aniki," Izuna said, the corners of his eyes creasing as he smiled up at his older brother. Something broke inside Madara when Izuna smiled at him, and he before he knew it he was grabbing his brother into a tight embrace, something he would have scoffed at anyone else for doing. But, like Sakura, Izuna made him do things that were completely out of character. Izuna was the one who changed his path entirely.

"Otoutou...how...why did you take so long to visit? Did you know how lonely I was without you?!" Madara cried, his voice starting out in a mere whisper and ending in a tormented scream. He grabbed Izuna by the shoulders, his face crumpling and his entire body wracking with sobs.

"Do you know how many moons I witnessed alone? How heavy the darkness became? How useless this filthy world was without you?!" Izuna nodded silently, the smile wiped from his face and replaced with a deep sadness, a sadness that rendered his twenty four year old face much older.

Madara sucked in a shuddering breath, fingers digging into Izuna's shoulders as he struggled to hold himself upright. In that moment, he felt every bit as old as his existence despite his younger body.

"After you died I did as you requested. I fought against the Senju, but Hashirama defeated me. However I didn't allow death to stop me. I fought from beyond the grave and I came back. I orchestrated a full scale war on your behalf. Not once did I not...not once did I not wish I had taken your place…" Madara's knees crumpled beneath him, and if Izuna didn't support him, he would have collapsed completely.

Izuna nodded once more, a sad sort of pride shining in his eyes.

"I know Aniki...I watched you. You were always my hero, the strongest person I knew and that is why I had to come. You have avenged me enough aniki...you don't have to fight anymore. You can stop now."

Madara gripped Izuna tighter, his sobs coming harder and heavier, wracking his larger frame and sending tremors throughout his body. The heaviness that had been inside of him ever since Izuna had died loosened, thinning until it began to dissipate.

He didn't have to fight anymore. He could rest now.

Ever since Izuna had died, and even before then, Madara had lived for war. His only down time had been his infrequent times with Hashirama during their childhood, but it had been a light in his war torn life. However it hadn't been enough to keep him afloat when he lost Izuna, and so he'd let the darkness consume him.

He'd continued to fight, vowing to avenge his beloved younger brother. Not once had he rested, even when life had fled him, even from beyond the grave he'd fought. He'd fought to the point of insanity, the grief and torment ripping his mind to shreds and reassembling it with pure hatred. And for centuries he'd toiled, refusing to rest until he'd achieved the world in which Izuna could have thrived.

But now it was over.

He'd finally gotten the permission he hadn't even realized he'd been waiting for. Hashirama had dispelled some of his darkness after his defeat in the fourth Shinobi World War, but the scars left by Izuna's loss hadn't budged, and so Madara had continued to fight until his mind had broken.

"You must live now aniki….live for yourself and treasure what you have left," Izuna said softly, a lone tear trickling from the corner of his eye as his body began to fade back into the darkness. "I must go now, but I am always with you aniki, because you are the strongest to me. You are my hero."

Madara jolted upright in the futon, breath coming fast and harsh as tears continued to stream down his face. Izuna was gone.

"Thank you otoutou…" he whispered, hands clenched into the soft fabric of the futon.

He would live.

* * *

 **AN: And there we have it! Chapter 2 is done! Hehe R &R please! I hope I didn't make Izuna too ooc but I don't know much about his character apart from the fact that he hated the Senju and hero worshipped Madara :D. Ugh Madara broke my heart in this chapter though T_T I hate it when Uchihas cry because they cry so heartbrokenly. **


	3. Chapter 3 - Changes

**Chapter 3 - Changes**

Warm sunlight filtered through the window, bathing Madara in its radiant rays. Particles of dust swirled within the brilliant crepuscular rays, but the beauty of the sunlight was completely lost to Madara, and he sat silently, firmly rooted in his thoughts. The light that fell across his face brought out a the hints of dark brown in his otherwise black eyes, which shimmered as he blinked.

But he was lost.

Madara was utterly lost without the heavy poison of his promise to Izuna. He no longer had that weight inside him, and for the first time ever he felt completely lost at sea.

It was a different kind of darkness to the one he was used to.

As he sat quietly, his mind whirred with numerous thoughts as he tried to recalibrate himself, to find a new purpose. He turned his face upwards, unconsciously tilting it towards the warmth of the sun. And as he soaked in the light, it came to him, seeping into the edges of his consciousness and into the cells of his brain.

He would restore the honour of the Uchiha and rebuild his clan. He would reform his clan, his people, from the ground up. That meant he had to start with his only remaining clan member.

He had to reach out to Sasuke.

The muscle in Madara's jaw twitched. He didn't relish the idea of getting close to Sasuke. Especially because he knew the young Uchiha was now seeing his pink haired medic in a different light. He didn't like it. But he had no choice; restoring the Uchiha name was the only thing he could do. _That_ would be his atonement.

A soft breeze filtered through the window, ruffling Madara's wild hair and sending it dancing over his shoulders. However his plan didn't only include the Uchiha, it also included the pink haired medic.

His stomach clenched. He hated the feeling of unsurety. It was simply not part of his innate character. He wanted Sakura, he knew that for sure, but he didn't know what else to do. He hadn't been raised in a close-knit family and he'd never had time for courting with all the wars during his lifetime. And so, once again Uchiha Madara was at a loss. It seemed to be becoming a frequent occurrence, much to his indignation and displeasure.

Uchiha Madara did not lose or get lost. He didn't, but he was. However he would rise above it because he had to. Even if only for Izuna's sake, if only because he had told him to live.

* * *

The next day, Madara requested for Sakura to bring Sasuke to see him. And that evening, after a bit of pleading from the pink haired medic, she was eventually able to get the Uchiha to consent.

And now, as Sakura stood outside the door of the house Madara lived in on the Uchiha compound, her muscles were taut with tension as she listened; senses on high alert for any signs of a fight. But thankfully she was only met with an uncomfortable silence.

* * *

Madara crossed his arms, eyes closed in thought as he blatantly ignored Sasuke's annoyance. The boy was decades too young and weak to rush him. Madara was calculative and careful, but he was also patient and selfish. Therefore, he refused to speak until he had his plan fully mapped out in his head; because he fully intended to use Sasuke once again, and much like the time before, he wouldn't even know he was being used.

Just as Sasuke's impatience was about to boil over, Madara's eyes opened, black orbs cool and distant; mouth set in a hard line.

"I assume you have heard about Uchiha Izuna….." Madara trailed, inclining his head towards Sasuke, his tone slightly questioning. The younger Uchiha nodded in response, the dark eyes that so eerily resembled Madara's, narrowing as he met the older Uchiha's gaze.

"Hn. What of him?" Sasuke grunted, and for a moment Madara was silent. Then he pulled himself to his feet and turned towards the window with his hands clasped behind his back. Silence stretched between the two Uchiha and a gusty wind filtered through the room but it did nothing to dispel the almost suffocating reticence.

Outside a cloud moved in front of the sun, casting a long shadow across the ground, and dimming the light filtering into the small living room. The shadow fell across Madara's face, partially obscuring his features. He ran a fingertip along the window ledge, absently rubbing the dust between his fingers,

"Izuna and I were much like you and Itachi," Madara said, breaking the silence. He didn't even have to look to know that Sasuke was glaring in disagreement at his back

"Just as Itachi sacrificed everything for your sake, I did and would have done the same for Izuna. However, Izuna was a victim of the neverending cycle of hatred and war in this world. The same cycle which has cursed the Uchiha for ages upon ages; the same one which we both fell to. Apart from my thirst for power, my sole motive in doing the things I did were to avenge Izuna. However, Izuna no longer wants me to avenge, so I have decided to rebuild the Uchiha clan and regain our honour and glory. That is why I called you here."

Madara turned around, his hip length hair swinging regally behind him as his cold eyes honed in on Sasuke. He could see the cogs turning in the younger Uchiha's mind and knew right then that he'd set the counterbalance of his thoughts in motion. After a few moments of thinking, Sasuke looked up, the serenity of his usually stoic face disturbed by his furrowed brows.

"You said Izuna was dead, how do you know what he wants?" Sasuke asked suspiciously. Madara's lips turned upwards in a slightly mocking smile.

"I am sure you know death isn't a finite barrier. You have met Itachi after his death haven't you? And I am not referring to the Edo Tensei." Understanding dawned in Sasuke's eyes and he nodded once again, but he wasn't ready to agree with Madara just yet.

"Hn. Just know that if you so much as breathe out of line, and try to destroy Konoha in any away possible, I will end you. Uchiha or not, you will not undo Naruto's hard work."

Madara quirked a dark brow at Sasuke's threat, and even though he knew he was one hundred percent serious, he felt no fear. Instead a small chuckle escaped his lips and he forced himself to refrain from sneering too blatantly.

"Ohh….it seems you have a newfound love for this place, Sasuke." He paused, an empty smile stretching his lips. "Hn, Uzumaki Naruto is an enigma indeed…..to be able to bring you to such a polar opposite state as this. But fear not, my ambition is no longer to destroy Konoha. I only want to restore the honour of our clan."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, holding back an indignant snort. He knew how cunning Madara was, and knew it wasn't as simple as that. However he also knew he wouldn't get anything more out of the older Uchiha until he wished to reveal more of his motives. So he would have to be careful. But for now he would relent.

"And how do you plan to achieve that? In case you aren't aware, the Uchiha haven't been the most well received in recent times," Sasuke replied, a trace of bitterness evident in his voice. This didn't go unnoticed by Madara.

"Family is how it will be achieved. You and I are all that is left of the Uchiha. Therefore we will have to act like a family in order to protect our best interests. You should also look into regaining the Uchiha seat in the council, as I am currently unable to do so. But you are young and know naught of politics, therefore I will guide you," Madara answered, the undulating coldness of his eyes softening for a split second. His tone carried the inherent weight of a born leader.

Now that he looked closer, Sasuke reminded him of Izuna somewhat. He'd been too late to do anything for Izuna and too late to do anything for Itachi and Sasuke. But it wasn't too late to do something for the future of the Uchiha. They had always been great, and so restoring that greatness was most definitely not impossible, especially with him at the helm.

Madara's answer was far from what Sasuke had been expecting, and for a moment he was reminded of the long ago time when he had been a part of a family. Something clenched within his gut and suddenly the air in the room felt heavy and suffocating.

Family was a word he'd long since stopped associating with any Uchiha apart from Itachi for years, as even the faces of his parents had long become blurred in his memories; covered with the cobwebs of time and grief. But Madara's words had triggered something within him, and suddenly Sasuke found himself missing Itachi even more than he thought was already possible.

"I will think about what you said," Sasuke answered quietly before abruptly getting to his feet and storming from the small living room. A small smirk tipped the corner of Madara's lips upwards. He was the master of manipulation for a reason.

* * *

Sakura jolted when Sasuke stormed pass her out of the house, and a tiny frown creased her forehead. She sighed and straightened her shoulders before entering the house, green eyes instantly searching for Madara. She found him standing by the window and padded over to his side, tilting her head upwards as she tried to gauge his expression. He seemed somewhat satisfied.

"Why is Sasuke-kun upset?" she asked carefully, her viridian gaze focused intently on Madara's face. The Uchiha glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before returning his gaze to the window.

"Hn. I suppose his young mind needs time to process my words."

Sakura crossed her arms, shifting her weight to her right leg as she scowled softly.

"What did you say to him? I don't think upsetting your only remaining relative is the best course of option for you right now…."

Madara smirked, and this time fully turned away from the window. He stepped closer to Sakura, his smirk deepening when she stepped backwards, heat rising to her face. He continued moving closer to her until her back hit the wall and there was nowhere else for her to go. He leaned in, brushing his fingers along the ends of her hair before sliding his hand around the back of her neck. Pleasure immediately rose in his stomach upon hearing the quickening of her heartbeat.

"I only expressed my desire to treat him as family. After all he and I are the only Uchiha left."

Sakura blinked, then suddenly understanding something, she opened her mouth to speak. However as soon as her lips parted Madara took it as his cue and moved in, covering her lips with his own. He licked along the seam of her lips, then nibbled on her lower lip before gently but dominantly laving his tongue against her own, guiding it in a slow and sensual dance. Madara wrapped his other arm around Sakura's waist, deepening the kiss and inserting a bit more urgency, only pulling away when they were both thoroughly out of breath. Then he placed small kisses along her neck and settled his face inbetween her neck and shoulders.

"You...mind giving me a warning next time?" Sakura murmured, her tone dripping with faux indignance. Madara smiled into her neck, only allowing himself to give into such a juvenile action because his face was hidden from her view.

"Hn. I do as I please," he answered in the much more usual Madara fashion. Sakura rolled her eyes but allowed a smile to slip onto her lips. They were both silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, until Madara spoke again.

"I need to go somewhere," he muttered, his face still nestled in the crook of Sakura's neck. She nodded and moved to shackle him again, then a few minutes later they set off towards the Hokage Mountain.

* * *

Sakura stood behind Madara, watching as he looked out over the still rebuilding Konoha. The orangey pinks of the sunset casting a soft glow of the newly planted trees. The soft evening breeze teased his dark locks, sending them swirling about him like a dark tornado. As she watched him, Sakura was suddenly aware of just how old his existence was. Not the age of his body, but the age of his soul. They were both looking at the same scenery, but she knew there were things he saw and was reminded of that she would never be able to fathom. She never really thought of him as one of the founders of Konoha, but at that moment the sheer notion of his legacy hit her at full force. He had the body of a twenty six year old but the experience and wisdom of someone decades upon decades older. It was something his insanity had often made her forget. But in the moments she did remember it, she felt extremely insignificant and young.

Sensing Sakura's gaze, Madara turned, questioningly quirking an eyebrow. Sakura smiled and shook her head.

"It's nothing. I was only wondering just how much you know about how Konoha was before my time."

Madara inclined his head, but remained silent and turned back towards the scenery. Sakura stepped forward, now standing side by side with Madara. But instead of watching the scenery, she watched him instead, her eyes turned upwards in his direction.

"Why did you ask me to take you here?" she inquired, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. For a while Madara didn't answer, and just when she thought he was going to ignore her question he spoke.

"Because of a memory. This was the mountain from which I named Konoha with Hashirama."

"Ohh," Sakura breathed, but decided not to ask anymore questions as Hashirama was a rather touchy subject for Madara and he seemed to be in a rather peaceful mood; one she'd most definitely prefer not to break. They stayed on the mountain for another half an hour, and then had to leave because it was getting dark and Madara wasn't allowed to be out at night, plus Sakura had to begin her night shift at the hospital.

However, neither of them were expecting the next sequence of events to happen in the slightest.

* * *

Sakura dismissed the ANBU that had been tailing them and pushed the front door open. As she was about to ask Madara to sit so that she could remove his shackles, the sound of quiet childish sobs met her ears. The pinkette's back stiffened and she flicked on the lights, her eyes searching for the sound, then finally landed on a shadow behind the sofa. The chakra signature was small, which was no wonder why she'd missed it, especially because he senses weren't as perceptive as Naruto and Sasuke's.

She quietly made her way to the edge of the sofa and was met with the sight of a small black haired child hugging its knees to its chest; body trembling with sobs. Sakura slowly bent onto one knee, careful not to startle the crying child.

"What's wrong little one?" she asked softly and upon hearing her voice the child jolted, sobs quietening as he raised his head. Seeing the child's face, Sakura immediately recognized the gender. The boy sniffled, staring warily at Sakura as if assessing her, before speaking in a small but clear voice.

"I can't find aniki."

Sakura frowned, it looked like the child had gotten lost, although she wasn't sure how he'd gotten inside the house because she was almost positive she'd locked the door after leaving with Madara. But maybe she was wrong. Instantly her medical training and tireless hours of working with the children at the clinic tripped in and she began to formulate a plan.

She needed to get him to come out from behind the sofa, then she could take him to the hospital with her until she was able to locate his family. With that thought in mind, Sakura stretched out her hand.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, will you let me help you find your aniki?"

The dark haired boy studied her for a moment, then seemingly deeming her trustworthy, he sniffled once more and solemnly nodded before placing his small hand in hers; allowing her to help him from the floor and guide him from behind the sofa.

As Sakura led the child from behind the sofa, she heard Madara inhale sharply and looked up to find his eyes wide with shock, his hands noticeably trembling at his sides. She watched in confusion as Madara took a step closer, his eyes trained on the small boy standing beside her. Then, noticing Madara's presence, the boy's solemn face brightened and he yanked his hand from Sakura's grasp and launched himself at Madara's legs, a bright smile splitting his face.

"Aniki!" The child exclaimed, grinning up at Madara as he hugged his leg. Madara stiffened, then slowly bent until he was at eye level with the boy, his hands trembling even more violently.

"I-Izuna?" he croaked in disbelief.

* * *

 **AN: Tanaaa I'm back! Thank you so much for all the reviews this story got while I was away. And to answer some of the questions, no I haven't abandoned this story, and yes I still plan to continue. I was just not very well and was having some serious writer's block. I can't promise any consistent updates but I will try to do better with the updates. That said, I BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT IZUNA TO COME BACK AS A CHILD OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!**

 **Also you might have noticed that I made a change to Madara's physical age, I also changed it in TTC. It's now 26 instead of 24.**

 **R &R or cute child Izuna will cry ;D**


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